#brightwindsbarony

Irene wakes up ready for school. Something's different

There's so much GREEN

Purple is best.. but green? Green is good!

The house , mortal as the day is long, seems to have a veneer of chimerical shift... as if they were in a quaint house straight from that old movie.. what was it? the Quiet Man

Head tilt. "Oh, that's funny..."

Her mother peeks in. Her mortal clothes are the usual, but a green blouse, still professional, slacks, practical. And then she approaches her daughter and a second chimerical set of clothes seems to spread over the first, a dress instead of slacks, the blouse less profesional more old timey... "Top o The morning to ye, lass" Wait.. did her mom talk all Leprechaun?

"Morning Mom. Happy St. Paddy's..." She TRIES not to stare...

"Aye," She nods "If ye be all proper primped you might have your breaking O the fast"... though if she tilts her head just a bit, Irene might hear instead "Once you're dressed, come in, have breakfast"

"Green eggs and ham?"

"You're an odd lass, you are" she her mom says "I don't be having time to be sprinking the emerald on swine and omletes, but rather you put on a touch o the green to your clothes and everything'll be right as rain afor ye get to your learning"

"Okay. I'll be down in a jiffy." A hug for her mom.

A BIG hug back and her mom moves with a kind of irish flounce

Irene appears for breakfast in GREEN. (with purple accents)

"Ah, I must make haste now, the boss man will have me arse for sure otherwise" her mom says "But good to see ye wearin o the green"

"Take care mom!"

"I got the bus!" She wonders if she could add some food color to her sandwich... in the book, the HAM is also green...

And soon, she's on the buss...

which is yellow green!

And her favorite Busdriver has a ring of green leaves in her hair

"Miss Nance, do you know any Irish songs?"

"Well, I know a wee ballad about unicorns that I think were sung by sons of eire"

"Unicorns?" Big eyes. "Oh, you have to sing it!"

"Well, there's two versions but I want to tell you the other

ti's a bit happier if you like Unicorns"

"Unicorns are my favorite!"

"A long time ago, when the Earth was green
There was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen
They'd run around free while the Earth was being born
And the loveliest of all was the unicorn" her voice is alweays lovely, but the Irish accent is fun

"There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
The loveliest of all was the unicorn"

"The Lord seen some sinning and it gave Him pain
And He says, "Stand back, I'm going to make it rain"
He says, "Hey Noah, I'll tell you what to do
Build me a floating zoo,
and take some of those..." and she motions for the kids to sing along

"Green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
Don't you forget my unicorns!"

Irene joins in, with enthusiasm.

And improvises gestures - chomping arms for gators, armpit-scratching chimps, nose-wiggling rats...

The other kids, the mortals duded up in magic green and not realizing it, join in or just laugh. Some miming motions...
"Old Noah was there to answer the call
He finished up making the ark just as the rain started to fall
He marched the animals two by two
And he called out as they came through
Hey Lord,

I've got green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I'm so forlorn
I just can't find no unicorns"

And Noah looked out through the driving rain
Them unicorns were hiding, playing silly games
Kicking and splashing while the rain was falling
Oh, them silly unicorns

There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Noah cried, "Close the door because the rain is falling
And we just can't wait for no unicorns"

The ark started moving, it drifted with the tide
The unicorns looked up from the rocks and they cried
And the waters came down and sort of floated them away
That's why you never see unicorns to this very day

You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
You're never gonna see no unicorns"

Gasps as Mrs Nance takes a pause.. is that the end?

"Oh noooo"

"This song sucks" Ryder says in the back

"AHEM.. there might be an addition..." Mrs Nance says "Want to hear it? Or shall we live the unicorns where they are?"

"You GOTTA save the Unicorns!"

Other kids agree! WHat is this, some sick unicorn snuff tune? So the bus driver motions for silence, then sings again
"Now you might think this is the ending to the song,
But I'll have to tell you friends that in fact you're wrong
You see, Unicorns are magical, so when the rain started pouring,
They grew themselves some wings and they took to soaring."
and the last part which is a refrain with a twist any changeling might approve of
"You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
But if you're looking for the unicorns, don't be forlorn,
The second star to the right and straight on until morning!"

Irene laughs

Ashlee looks much relieved

And the bus pulls up to school... and they see.. Grete!

Grete is staring at the public school's entrance like it was an alien world

Particularly on a day where ever thing seems Irish

She fidgets a bit, one hand in her pocket, the other clutching a lunchbag, and looking rather lost.

Ashlee blinks "Is that .. that's Grete"

"Grete!" And the witchel gets slammed with a non-socially-distant hug.

"Oof!" She says in way of hello, but luckily Wichtels are sturdy. "Is it always this... busy?" Looking over the schoolyard in interest, but a bit of trepidation.

"Yeah, but not usually this green"

"I like the green!

"What's freaking me out is how everyone is talking in a French Accent" Stu says as he comes up

"That's not French, Stu! My mom went all Irish this morning, too."

"Oh. I was worried that I wore the wrong thing." Looking down at her clothes. "Miss Hope promised there wasn't a uniform, but I thought she might have been wrong."